Rights and Wrongs of What Police Officers Have Done in the Netflix Series Unbelievable.edited
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Rights and Wrongs of What Police Officers Have Done in the Netflix Series Unbelievable
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Rights and Wrongs of What Police Officers Have Done in the Netflix Series Unbelievable
Netflix’s series
Unbelievable
is based on “an unbelievable rape story,” portraying the
plight of sexual assault victims and how the system fails to help them pursue justice. The film is
about an 18-year-old female, Marie Adler, who reports to the police how a disguised intruder
raped her in Lynnwood, Washington. Unexpectedly, the police force her to recant her story after
doubting her reliability. Additionally, the show features two detectives who join forces to track
down the rapist ignored by other law enforcers. Although some police officers help solve
difficult cases, some have a negative side which makes them inept for the profession.
Police officers’ job entails maintaining law and order by protecting all citizens and their
property, averting crime, removing the fear of criminality, and enhancing the quality of life for
members of the public. However, this job description is not always reflected in real-life in the
professional duties of the police. In the
Unbelievable,
police instill fear in a rape survivor, Marie,
who had come to report the incident. Marie reports that a masked man broke into her house and
raped her at knifepoint. Marie, a frightened rape victim, is pressed to tell her ordeal repeatedly to
several officers. The police fail to follow the correct procedure of helping a rape survivor. The
first asserts unconsciously, “I’m here to help you,” and follows to ask Marie a sequence of
questions to which she responds in a daze. Shortly, two more officers interrogate her. When she
is taken to the hospital for examination, she is not informed about the procedure. For instance, a
doctor shoves a speculum into Marie’s vagina without forewarning her. Marie returns to the
police station to restate her story. All these bothers lead to some inconsistencies in Marie's story.
The police accuse her of fabricating the story, and out of trauma and intimidation, she buys the
idea. Besides, Marie is charged with false reporting. Although this approach portrays the bad side
of the police, other officers execute their duties professionally.
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To show the viewers how badly the Lynnwood police behaved, the film presents a similar
case to Marie’s in Colorado, where Amber has been raped in comparable circumstances. Amber
is handled differently. The first detective, Karen Duvall, compassionately and professionally
states, “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to ask you some questions.” In every statement, Duvall
requests for permission, a subtle approach to showing the victim that the perpetrator did not
deprive her of control, although she may be feeling that way. Officer Duvall escorts Amber to the
healthcare center for examination. She assures her of receiving excellent service from the nurses
and the counselor sitting by Amber’s side during the assessment. After the assessment, the officer
drives the victim to a friend’s house. She follows up with Amber later without coercing her to
write down what she has said. Duvall demonstrates how police should treat sexual assault
survivors by listening to them empathetically and assisting them professionally.
While police officers in Lynnwood humiliate Marie after muddying her mind, two
detectives in Colorado vindicate her. Detectives Duvall and Grace Rasmussen work in police
confines miles away from Washington, where Marie was assaulted. The two officers join forces
after realizing they are investigating spookily similar rape attacks. They sense that the perpetrator
must be a serial rapist. The officers’ instincts are correct as they link four rape incidents in 15
months. Marie refers to these detectives as her guardian angels as she feels her life intersects
with those of the officers. After arresting the rapist, the officers learned that criminals are aware
that police departments rarely communicate, which enabled the rapist to commit the crime in
different jurisdictions.
Detectives Duvall and Rasmussen represent the good police officers in the
Unbelievable.
Each of them executes their duties with the confidence and professionalism that the career needs.
At the station, Duvall carries herself with high self-standards without adjusting the bar down for
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anyone. She shows no patience for laziness. She ensures that officers have no break when
working at the rape crime scene. She is professional and convivial. Likewise, Rasmussen is as
serious and relentless as Duvall. She carries her burdens without allowing them to bring her
down. She encourages her juniors to share ideas and execute them to find a solution: “You know
what? Give it a shot. There are no bad ideas.” although she is candid and no-nonsense, she is
friendly and encouraging. The two detectives are good at their job and help alter the negative
image portrayed by Lynnwood police officers.
Like other experts, police officers have their feats and faults. The
Unbelievable
illustrates
these two sides of the law enforcement profession acted by police officers from different states.
Instead of removing the fear of crime and enhancing Marie’s quality of life, officers in
Lynnwood humiliate the rape victim and eventually charge her regardless of the lab result.
Marie’s fate is saved by detectives from Colorado who serve professionally and compassionately
to unearth the strategies used by the serial killer. Overall, the
Unbelievable
is educative to the
police force and the public about the crimes that go unresolved due to faulty reporting
procedures and unprofessionalism.